Process of drying macaroni.



K. GAMMEL. PROCESS OF DRYING MACARONI. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. I911. RENEWED SEPT. I4, 19!]- 2 SHEETS-SHEET lwi Me ones: 5] vwe Wco-z Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

K. GAMMEL. PROCESS OF DRYING MACARONI. APPLICATION FILED MAR.25, l9ll- RENEWED SEPT. 14, 1917- 1 300,? 1 Patented Apr. 15,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wit names: {J n we nfoz J k 5 I v .1 gm Ma M re re KARL GAMMEL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND MAOARONI COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

rnocEss or bnyrne MACARONI.

moons.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL GAMMEL,'L sub- State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Drying Macaroni, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore much difficulty has been experienced in drying edible pastes, such as macaroni and similar products, in apparatus employed for dryin such materials, because of the tendency o the several pieces or lengths of the material to stick together by reason of the large amount of moisture contained therein, and the object of this invention islto provide a process whereby this tendency may be overcome, and the pieces or lengths of the material can be handled in bulk without injury thereto. A further obj ect of the invention is to shorten the length of. time heretofore required to dry edible pastes. The various other objects of the invention will be more fully set forth in thefollowing description of my improved process, which consists in the new and novel steps hereinafter set forth and claimed.

When edible pastes, such as macaroni and 5 similar products, are first removed from the press, they are in an extremely soft and plastic condition, and contain a large amount of moisture, either in the form of a liquid deposited on the surface or contained within the goods. My improved process consists essentially in removing all of the excess' through the'primary chamber of an apparatus suitable for carrying out my improved process with the chassis shown in side elevation; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view throughl the secondary chamber of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings which show Specificatiomof Lettersfiatent. Pat t d A 15 191 Application filed March 25, 1911, Serial No. 616,937.

Renewed September 14, 1917. Serial No. 191,498.

but one means for carrying out the process,

the primary drying chamber 1 is preferably rectangular in shape, and has one of its sides 2 preferably formed of a flexible material,

such as canvas, mounted upon rollers 3 whereby it may be raised and lowered. The chamber is adapted to receive a chassis 4, which contains the material 5 to be dried, which is placed therein upon sticks or hangers 7. A. fan '8 is secured iii the side of the receptacle opposite the flexible side 2. Said fan may be of any well known construction, which will permit the same to be reversed, so that the air can be forced or drawn through the receptacle as desired. The fan when forcing the air into the receptacle may draw its relatively dry air from any suitable source. If the normal atmosphere is too moist it may be connected with any air drying oven 8 or the air may be drawn through any suitable mechanical or chemical drying agent. When the fan is drawing the air from the receptacle the humidity of this air will depend in part upon the amount of moisture present in the receptacle The secondary drying chamber 9 is provided with a a wing 10 or any suitable mechanism for rapidly producing currents in opposite directions through the material contained therein, and is also provided with a valve controlled inletll and outlet 12, whereby a small quantity of air may be drawn into the chamber and a c rresponding quantity of moist air may be expelled therefrom upon each stroke of the wing, so that the body of air will be given an advancing movement within the chamber. This secondary drying chamber may be substantially the same as the apparatus described and claimed in U. S. Patent No. 932,695 dated August 31, 1909, granted to me for drying apparatus, and no further description thereof is necessary. This invention resides solely in'the' process and it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the particular form of apparatus shown, it being obvious that the process may be carried out in cham bers of different construction.

In practising my improved process the macaroni or similar product, immediately upon issuing from the press, is hung upon the sticks or hangers, and is then subjected to the primary drying. A current of air .of considerable velocity and relatively low humidity is then forced through and around the goods by means of the fan, until a portion of the excess moisture is extracted fromthe goods. Preferably the fan is then reversed and the air is drawn from the goods, thus creatin a current in the opposite direction throug and around the goods which may be of less velocity and also a higher humidity than the current which is forced through the goods. While the weaker aii' current which is being drawn through the goods the excess water comes to the surface of the goods, which become quite moist, and thereupon the direction of the current. may be reversed and the air forced through the goods until the surface of the goods have been'dried. This operation is continued un-. til approximately 60% of the water contents of the goods has been removed.

After a considerable proportion of the water contents of the goods has been removed, as for example 60%, the pieces or lengths of macaroni lose their flexibility and become quite hardon the surface. Thereupon they are removed to the secondary drying chamber, where they are subjected to the action of currents of air which alternate with considerable rapidity and have a relatively high humidity. The proc-' ess of drying, which is extremely rapid in theprimary drying chamber, is considerably slower in the secondary chamber, but the drying is carried on evenly throughout the goods, since the moist body of air in contact therewith tends to keep the outer surface in a moist and pliable condition. The humidity of the air in the secondary chamber is controlled in any suitable manner as by the quantity of fresh air admitted and the "quantity of moist air expelled through the pipes 11 and 12 and is always sufiiciently high to prevent the macaroni or similar product from bursting or cracking.

In drying macaroni and similar pastes in machines, it has been found difficult to eliminate the great quantity of water which was evaporated soon after the goods were placed therein, and furthermore the necessity for placing thegoods close together in such apparatus caused the goods to sweat thus increasing the amount of water given off in the first part of the operation. By means of the present process all of the excess water is removed before the goods are placed in the secondary drying chamber, and consequently there is no tendency for the goods to stick together, and the sweating of the goods is .also avoided. Consequently the process of drying is shortened very materially, and a better product is also obtained.

I claim as my invention:

1. The process of drying macaroni and similar edible pastes which consists in sub jecting the goods to the action of a current of point of the air.

air having considerable velocity and relatively low humidity and then to a current of air having less velocity and higher "humidity until the excess moisture contained in the goods is removed, and then subjecting the goods to a current of air alternately moving in opposite directions and having a relatively high humidity until the drying process is completed, all of said currents having a humidity below their saturation point.

2. The process of drying macaroni and similar edible pastes which consists in alter: nately subjecting the goods to the action of currents of air of relatively low and of relatively high humidity until approximately 60% of the water contents of the goods has been removed, and then subjecting the goods to the action of alternating currents of air having a relatively high humidity but below rapidly alternating current of air of relatively high humidity but below the saturation point, substantially as described.

4. The process of drying macaroni, which consists ofsubjecting the goods to a preliminary drying by means of sustained aircurrents of different velocities-and degrees of humidity and then to a secondary drying by means of alternating air currents of approximately uniform humidity, said air currents having a humidity below theirsaturation points.

5. The process of drying macaroni, which consists in subjecting the goods to a preliminary drying by air currents of considerable velocity but different rates of movement and degrees of humidity; and then to air currents of low velocity and substantially uni form humidity, said air currents having a humidity below their saturation points.

6. The process of drying macaroni which consists in subjecting the goodsto a relatively rapid preliminary drying in the presence of air having relatively low humidity and then to a relatively slow drying in the presence of air currents having relatively high humidity but below the saturation This specification signed this 13th day of March, A. D. 1911.

KARL GAMMEL. Signed in the presence of:

JOHN P. WULL, J. O. PFAFFMANN.

and witnessed 

